The Colon Tour stops at the School of Pharmacy

[Press Release] - Published on March 11, 2025 in Press Room, Environmental Issues and Social Responsibility

As part of “Blue March,” Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, the University of Montpellier’s School of Pharmacy and the Montpellier Pharmacy Students’ Association (AAEPM) are organizing an information and prevention day on March 27, 2025, open to the entireUM community. Sponsored by the Ligue contre le cancer and the ANEPF (National Association of Pharmacy Students of France), the “Côlon Tour” is making a stop in Montpellier to raise awareness among both pharmacy students—who will play a key role in prevention and screening—and the entire university staff.

The League Against Cancer will set up a giant inflatable model of the colon on March 27 on the campus of the School of Pharmacy to raise public awareness about the importance of screening. This prevention tool illustrates the interior of this little-known organ and the abnormalities that can occur there (diverticula, polyps, pedunculated polyps, cancer) to better explain the nature of exams such as colonoscopy and to dispel the barriers and taboos associated with this screening.

A national event to educate future pharmacists

Since 2022, pharmacists have been able to provide colorectal cancer screening kits to asymptomatic individuals with no specific risk factors. To support this development, the League Against Cancer and the ANEPF have launched a national partnership to educate students about these new issues.

In 2024, the Côlon Tour visited 16 schools of pharmacy—70 percent of all such institutions—reaching more than 1,600 people. Building on this success, the event will return in 2025 to reach even more future healthcare professionals, as well as to raise awareness among a broader audience.

A Major Public Health Issue

With more than 47,000 new cases in France in 2024, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among men and the third among women, as highlighted by the Ligue contre le cancer in its latest hard-hitting campaign titled “Go Take a Shit!” However, when detected at an early stage, it can be cured in 9 out of 10 cases. Screening therefore plays an essential role, and pharmacists, as the first line of public health care, now have a key mission to fulfill.

By hosting the Colon Tour, the University of Montpellier’s School of Pharmacy is fully committed to this initiative aimed at prevention and the training of future healthcare professionals.

The Day's Schedule

The day will feature lectures, discussions with healthcare professionals, and awareness booths:

• 9:30 a.m.: Setup of the giant colon and opening of the partner organizations' booths.
• 11:30 a.m.: Opening remarks by Professor Dubois, president of the League Against Cancer, and Dr. Escande, associate director for campus life at the School of Pharmacy.
• All day until 4:00 p.m.: representatives from the League Against Cancer, the Regional Health Agency, SMILE (support for patients facing a diagnosis), PENut’S (nutrition and cancer prevention), the Regional Cancer Screening Coordination Center – Occitanie (cancer screening), CPAM, ROTARACT, Montpellier University Hospital – Immunology Department, as well as an AAEPM booth selling crêpes.
• 12:00 p.m.: PENut’S presentation on the role of nutrition in cancer prevention.
• 12:45 p.m.: Presentation on the role of pharmacists in cancer care.
• 4:00 p.m.: End of the event and departure of the giant colon.